For the Rapids City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Before they wear cranberry and gold at historic Witter Field this summer, members of the 2019 Wisconsin Rapids Rafters’ roster are finding success at the halfway point of the collegiate baseball season.

Odessa College is currently 28-10 and sitting atop their conference thanks in part to stellar hitting performances by Rafters infielders Harry Fullerton and Mason McLenna. Fullerton leads the team with 45 RBIs and is second with a .444 average at the plate. The sophomore New Mexico commit was named conference Player of the Week after driving in nine runs and batting .705 in the final week of March. McLenna is hitting .410 with 29 RBIs and 14 stolen bases this season.

Right-handed pitchers Nick Garcia and Cody Turner have helped No. 8 Chapman University reach a 21-6 record in 2019. The pair combined for a 7-0 record and five  saves in relief for the Panthers. Garcia has 45 strikeouts and boasts an 0.75 ERA through 24 innings of work. He was named to the D3Baseball.com Team of the Week in February. Garcia was also named conference Pitcher of the Week in March. Turner has allowed just 16 hits over 23 innings, striking out 24 batters and holding a 3.52 ERA.

At Dixie State, future Rafter pitchers Brayden Bonner and Jimmy Borzone have thrown a combined 23.1 innings in relief for the No. 25 Trailblazers. Bonner has racked up 24 strikeouts and a 2.70 ERA on his way to a 2-0 record. Meanwhile, Borzone boasts a 1-0 record, striking out 11 batters and giving up only 4 hits in 5 appearances. The two have helped Dixie State to a 23-11 record.

Returning junior catcher Jake Dunham has collected a team-high 20 RBIs for Northern Illinois and ranks second on the team with a .284 batting average. Dunham has started all 32 of the Huskies’ games this season and was named Mid-American Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Week in late March. The Huskies are currently in third in the MAC standings.

Through 27.1 innings pitched for Old Westbury, righty Patrick Quinn has notched 25 strikeouts. In his three most recent outings, Quinn has pitched 15 innings and only surrendered a single run. He earned Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week honors on April 1st.  Quinn has helped lead Old Westbury to a 14-10-1 record, notching 3rd place in the Skyline Conference standings.

As a true freshman at Virginia, Rafters pitcher Jack Dragum is making an impact as a position player for the 21-13 Cavaliers. He is currently hitting .154 with an RBI and a run scored in 10 appearances. Rafters teammate and outfielder Bryce Greenly has not yet seen playing time as a freshman, but turned heads during fall ball at Virginia. Virginia is tied for second in the Coastal Division of the ACC.

Rafters outfielder Jaylen Guy has started 31 of Liberty University’s games this season. The freshman is hitting .287, leads the Flames with 10 stolen bases, and holds a perfect fielding percentage in centerfield. Guy has been a big part of the 25-7 record this season and Liberty currently sits at the top of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Another standout freshman headed to Wisconsin Rapids is UNLV infielder Edarian Williams. He has started 29 games for the Rebels this season. His .331 batting average is second on the team and his 27 RBIs rank third. Additionally, Williams has a .966 fielding percentage in 2019. This season, the Running Rebels are 20-15, leading the Mountain West Conference in wins.

Columbia infielder Josh Nicoloff has made 24 starts this season, hitting .330 and scoring 13 runs. Nicoloff has the best batting average on the team. Columbia is currently tied with Penn for the lead in the Ivy League standings. Penn pitcher Dylan Mulvihill has done his part to help with the 17-9 record this season. He has totaled six innings out of the bullpen this season, allowing two runs and notching 3three strikeouts.

Rafters returning pitcher Cole Waites has had another strong season with West Alabama. Waites has started 10 games for the Tigers and has a 3.56 ERA. The junior is 3-2 with 94 strikeouts this season. His impressive season has not gone unnoticed. He has been named the Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week three times this year and ranks third in Division 2 in strikeouts. His play has been a big part in helping the Tigers to a 22-12 record.

Anthony Galason has had a strong freshman season for Elon University. He is batting .259 in 33 games and he is tied for third in hits with 32. Elon is currently 18-15 and is tied for the lead of the Colonial Athletic Association.